Box-press.



B. C. SKlNNER.

BOX PRESS.

- .AFPUCATION FILED AUG.14, |914,v 1,156,639. 1 Patented Aug. 17,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

mm1-Imm --lllm l k1 lll *n WlT/VESSES: Kb

f1 UUHNEYS.

B. c. SKINNEH.

Box PRESS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-I4' I9I4.

JIL

B10115017, C. ww-R97'.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NVE/vm Afro/were?.

Unirse sirenas Parnnfr censos.

BRGNSON CUSHNG SKNNER, BUNEDIN, FLORID, ASSXGNOR TG L. B. SRINNEEEKANUFACTURHTG CGMPANY, OIF EUNEDIN, FLQRIDA, .CGRPGRATIN 6F FLOEDL.

BOXPBESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented fing', lf.

Application vlef August 14, 1914. Serial No. 856368.

dent of Dunedin.` in the county of .Pinellas and State of Florida, havemade certain new useful improvements in Box Presses, ot

vwhich the following is a specilication.

My invention more particularly relates to a clamping press for the topsof crates used in packing and shipping citrons fruits such as oranges,lemons and grapefruit.

lt is well known to those engaged in packing citi-ous fruits that theyare packed with a so-called bellied top, the fruit projecting somewhatabove the upper edges ot' the crate over which the flexible top or coveris placed. and flexed downwardly so that the ends of the cover may benailed to the crate, the cene trai portion or" the cover bulgingoutwardly and upwardly and disclosing the fruit along the sides. Theobject of so packing citrons fruits is to insure that there shall be nomovement of the contents'o the crate during shipment, the yieldingpressure of the flexed cover firmly holding the :fruit against allmovement. In addition to securing the cover at the ends, it is customaryto apply a boi: strap of metal or hickory, or other tough Wooden strip,transversely about the central portion of the crate and over the cover.Because the crate is packed with this bulging or bellied top, it iscustomary in packing houses handling citrons fruit to em- .ploy a boxpress having clamps to engage the ends of the cover and to draw themdownward to contact with the upper edge of the crate at the ends .and tohold the cover in place whilebeing nailed or otherwise secured.

IThe object of the present invention is 'to provide a boxpi'ess havingclamps so constructed and'operated that they will not interere with thehandling of the crate and its proper positioning on its support, theclamps having such movements that when disengaged from the crate theyare in a position whereby they will not interfere with the positioningof the crat A. further object of the invention is to so construct theoperative instrumentalities that a free clearance space is provided andthe clamping mechanism Willnot interfere with the positioning of thecentral transverse strap or band, and `whereby the strap or band may bepositioned and applied without releasing the clamping devices trom thetable B will be positioned at extending flange C which aords engagementwith the top of the crate, there eing no part of the clamping mechanisminterfere with the positioning and drawing of the box strapabout thecrate or frhe movements of the hands "of the operator while applying thebox strap.

To the above ends my invention consists of a box press comprising asupport for the crate or box and with clamping members located at ornear the ends of said support, and each providedn'ith independentlyoperating mechanism to control the movements of the clampingmembers intoand out ci' clamping position, and a common operating device for said'clamping members located below the surface of the table or support.

rMy invention further consists of the de -vices and combinations ofdevices which will be hereinafter described in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Which-Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my invention with a box inplace upon the receiving table and the clamping members in inoperativeposition, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away and insection, illustrating the clamping members in clamped position upon'l abox, Fig. is a side elevation, Fig. 4 is a horizontal section takensubstantially on line 4 4 of Fig.

and Fig. '5 is a detail perspective vievv illi'istrating certain partsto be hereinafter specifically referred to.

^ The. apparatus as illustrated in the drawings comprises a suitableframe consisting of the' vertically disposed end frames A and thehorizontally disposed receiving table B, the table B being rigidlysecured in any suitable manner to the tops of the end frames A, and inpractice the, end frames A will be bolted to the floor orv other supportby the bolt-s a. The end framesv A are preferably of such height thatwhen bolted to the floor a convenient height above the iioor tofacilitate the positioning of the crate thereon as the same Yis takenfrom the end of the runway by 'table B is preferably smooth from end toend, and preferably along the back edge it will be provided with anarrow vertically a guidea'gainst which the rear lower edge of thecarrying portion F and a elampm' portionl F1 extending from the upperend o the por- 'tion F and preferably disposed at right angles thereto.The clamping leversare each independently supported at or near the endsof the table B in such manner that they may have upward land downwardmovements for the purpose of causing the clamping portions F1 to moveaway from and toward the top of the box-or crate, and in the apparatusof 'the drawings they are so supported thatvin their upward and downwardmovements they will have a' movement backward and forward, away from andtoward a vertical plane extending through the table B, so that theclamping portions F1 when released move upward andY backward out of theway of the operator leaving a free' clearance space for the removal andreceptionof the crates'from and on the table B, andin the clampingmovement they move inward and downward toward the top of the box orcrate. The supporting mecha- 'v nism shown inthe drawings comprise linksGr which are pivotally lconnected yat theirv ends respectively to thelower forwardly extending ends of the carrying portions F and tothe-side frames A as by means of the bolts g. The clamping members-arealso connected to links I which at one end are pivotally connected-bymeans of the boltsz' to the ear rying portion F of the clamping membersand-at their opposite ends by means of bolts L to upwardly andrearwardly extending brackets H projecting from the end frames A.

It will be noted that the supporting devices of each of the clampingmembers is entirely independent of the supporting del vices of the otherclamping member, and that except for the operating mechanism whichimparts the upward and downward movgment to the clamping members theyare not connected with each other, and thus a freeand unobstructed spaceis provided be- -tween the clamping, members at the rear'of the table sothatthey will not interfere with i the manipulation and application ofthe box strap to the central portion of theicrate.

The operating instrumentalities which im` part vertical movements tothe'clamping members include a reciprocatingcrosshead D? which carries arod orl shaft E, and which shaft at each end engages an aperture f inthe lower forwardly extending ends of the carrying portions F of theclamping members. The crosshead D2 imparts a si- -multaneous downwardmovement to the clamping members and for this purpose it is providedwith a link D` which is pivotally connected at its upper end to theerosshead D2 and at itsV lower end pivotally connected to 'a foottreadle D1. The crosshead isdepressed against the tension of springs J,there being two such, springs which at their lower ends are supported bybrackets j upon the inner faces of' the end frames A and at their upperends engage and are connected .to lugs mprojecting from thelower ends ofthe carrying portions F. The springs J act to elevate the cross heads D?and the clamping. members F when the foot treadle is released. It is tobe observed that the links G and are so positioned and so connected tothe carrying portions F of the clamping l members that, when they aremoved vertically by means of the crosshead D2 and thev springs J they atthe same time move into and out of a verticalplane, and thus theAclamping portions F1 are moved i'nto and out of a plane which willcause them to en gage the ends of the cover which is to be applied tothe crate. It will be further noted that 'when elevated and moved out ofthe clamping plane, the clamping portions F1 are disposed in such a'manner that a relatively large free clearance space is provided for thepositioning of the crate on the table B,the clamping members where theyproject above the table being located en? tirely at the rear thereof` sothat the crate may b e slid on to the upper surface of the table fromone end as itis taken from' the conveyer which delivers the filledcrates from the packing table. It will be further noted that theapertures f are flaring at each bers may adjust themselves to the heightof the crate at the ends, even though there'be slight variations inheight by means f this rocking connection of the crosshead D2 with theclamping members which provides for :t

limited independent clamping movement ofv the clamping members.

In operation a boxstrap` is positioned transversely on the table B andthe crate placed thereon. -The flexible cover is then laid on the fruitandthe treadle D1 depressed, thus througlpthe link D imparting adownward movementv tothe crosshead D2, which by means of the shaft Ecauses a downward movement to the clampingmembers against thegitensionof the springsJ, and as the clamping members more down-l ward vthey -aremeans zof the linksG and I caused to move irst'toward lthe crate ortoward the table, so thatthe carryingv portions F are disposed in avertical plane and the clamping portions F1 in a horizontal plane, andthe further downward movement brings theclampingportions F1into con-viis4 tact with the ends of thevflexiblfe 'cover de` pressing the endsover the fruitfffand bringing them into contact with "the yends o f thecrate, in which positionthecover will be' clamping xieiiilscis While thecpnai the comfy io 'the wat@ :it die "fliciiiwi' flic upm-:swr 'sin .5:mixing )ing incur ,1 :slimsi'i iii in Fig. in), tlius l 1m'- spiiire forthe a drawinff the en is i lic lmx sti-sisi) about lie craie, :miifastening; it

life, usual Mumien Having deswilifyl my i1 finition l lain :is new unddesire to protect by Letters liitcnt of the ilitell States:

L A linx press comprising.; :i iizililc 01' suppnit, cluxiiping niemlerailiwnsexl naar emli cnil klim-enf unil' extending above, Ilia table atthe lmcli liQ'i'QU, menus for' iiiipziitiig Vertical i'iioveiiic-ns mSuid c'lzunpiig incinbers, :imi mesme; '4:0 cause siiiil @humping iii'czull-'c DI amil ilu Springs f iii'iwau'dly :imi rmuivai* 5 in `fulllima, (tha Limia' giving ille cliuupiiig p0 i; i1 heb. and uzmbsi'uctemembers *us swing transversely in piii'zillul i 'vvi'ticiil plzuwstoward fumi fi'oixi :l vcitil'zil plaine iliizilig tliei i'ei'iiiiiliiim'cnieiits.

box pss cmiipi'isng ii table 0i' muy mi', :in siiim vlziml ing uwmliei's@fiieiiiliiig iip\\':xri`ily at me bmli if said tzilili, LL' support,pivot-.illy mmmeil toggle links piw nulljf connected with snifl clampingmembers, a vertically. movable wosslieud engag- .ing il? lower @nils (ifsuini clamping mouil1ms mums im iiilife said cinswliezul, :nul springsvugngiiig Said c .inging members.

55. A table m siippor. inilep luiily slipclaimiiiw muni lmx prima':oinpi'iing :i fram? in vinding :i liiix rcciivixig table, (.flzimpiiigiziciiilwi' normally iiiiliiwnl upwiiilly :mel iiniiwvzii'illi :ii thei'nz nml :alims *Q10 Suid iiililu uml mieli iwiiiml in una pivcv :imi

lower intilinul @nils r ci'iims: fm' tim clumpengaging lie said loweririiii'neil ciiils of the cliiiiipim; iiioiiibei'snmril spring; to mm-iithe nieuwe when the said i'ezidle. rnyez'iited c011- xifwmis iai-#3released.

imv

